On October 11, 2016, Reginald Sherman, aged 54, was fatally shot in Houston, Texas. The incident took place outside the May Food Store located in the 8500 block of N. Main St. The suspect, identified as Desmond Hawkins, who was only 16 at the time, is alleged to have approached Sherman during a robbery attempt, demanding money before shooting him. Hawkins was later arrested and charged with capital murder, and his case was transferred from juvenile court to be tried in adult court due to the
severity of the crime. The prosecutor argued that Hawkins had known gang affiliations and showed a "high level of criminal sophistication," which led to the decision to waive his case into the adult criminal justice system.
Following the shooting, Hawkins fled the scene, but police were able to gather information from witnesses and surveillance footage. The footage showed a male suspect on a purple bicycle near the location, wearing a gray hoodie and tan pants, which helped narrow the investigation. Despite these leads, the authorities initially struggled to locate Hawkins until a later arrest. Crime Stoppers offered a reward of up to $5,000 for any information that would help in solving the case, further emphasizing the seriousness of the crime and the commitment to finding justice for Sherman.
In addition, another suspect, Reginald "Reggie" Vernard Campbell, who was later added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list, was involved in the investigation. He was wanted for his role in related criminal activities and was eventually captured in New York following a tip. His inclusion on the list and the subsequent manhunt highlighted the broad search efforts conducted by law enforcement to bring all parties involved to justice.
